Wednesday, September 24, 2008

History Repeats to the Tune of $700 Billion

Friends and Family,

I'm sure if you've even remotely had your eyes open the past week or so you have witnessed our drastically failing economy. Now Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson wants us, the taxpayers, to write a blank check to give to Wall Street and Congress is actually considering it. What starts as $700 Billion dollars, which is already a huge chunk out of our pockets, can increase at any time according to the proposed bill. What makes matters worse, the bill calls for virtually no system of accountability, no checks and balances; we are just supposed to sign our livelihoods away to one guy and pray he doesn't screw up. I will note quickly that Paulson, we a significant part in why our economy is failing as badly as it is today. As CEO of Goldman Sachs, Paulson helped squander the once-firm economy even before he took office in Bush's cabinet.

I never thought I would see the day that capital interests came before human rights, but any of you who are familiar with the World Trade Organization know that day is already here. Implementing this bill as-is would be like burning our constitution. Paulson would have complete say over where the money, our money, is spent and cannot be held accountable for it.

So why say history is repeating itself? Let's time travel back to the Roman Empire, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, world power of it's time. What did Rome do when they got into trouble? They gave all the power to one man, Ceasar (a lot less friendly than the salad) and told him simply, "fix it". What happened? Rome fell.

Now for those of you who were skeptical about a mayor of a town of 9,000 potentially running a country, your hair has to be on fire about some CEO of a stock company that has already messed up big-time. Paulson will literally have no one to answer to, which means his decisions, trump our needs, everyone's needs. If you have an ounce of entitlement in your soul, please stand up to this proposed tyranny. We cannot afford to spend our money making the rich, richer while we're struggling to fill our gas tanks up.

Speaking of gas, did you know that yesterday Shell Oil opened an office in Bagdad, Iraq? It's been nearly fourty years since Iraq has allowed foreign oil companies into their lands. Now all of a sudden theyu're beginning to pop up. Does that raise some concerns for you? It should. Even scarier, the prime minister of Iraq says "they [the Bush administration] asked for a change in date (it would hve been 2010) due to political circumstances related to the domestic situation in the US." This quote was taken from the government's own public website www.opensource.gov. So for all of you who have been paying attention, let's see how many US oil companies pop up between 2010 and 2011; while our brave soldiers die and leave their familes with little to nothing, the oil companies have Christmas year-round.

Please let congress know that you do not support selling your freedom and soverignty to Big Oil. Start by telling them you want some accountability, start by telling them NO to the $700 Billion Bailout. Follow this link: http://ga3.org/campaign/congress_no_blank_check?rk=B7rG527qVZhPE to write your congressmen!